A bestselling author of 15 books and award-winning human rights advocate, Tara Rae Moss has over 20 years of experience in the public eye, speaking at hundreds of universities, schools, writers’ festivals, town halls, community and corporate events and more. She has given an address at the National Press Club, spoken in Australian Parliament on multiple occasions, and has interviewed the iconic Gloria Steinem, Naomi Klein, Mona Eltahawy, Alison Bechdel, Lynda La Plante, and Val McDermid among others. She has also shared the stage as a panelist with fellow speakers Roxane Gay, Germaine Greer, Kathy Lette and more.
Tara Rae is an outspoken advocate for the rights of women, children, and those living with chronic pain. She has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2007 and as of 2013 is UNICEF Australia’s National Ambassador for Child Survival, and has visited Australian hospitals, maternity wards and schools as well as Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon in her UNICEF role. She briefed parliamentarians in Australia on the humanitarian crisis in Syria in 2015 as part of her work with UNICEF, on ending gender-based violence and domestic violence in 2016 as part of her role with Our Watch, and on lived experience with pain and making medicinal cannabis available as an option for pain patients in 2021 as part of her role as a Pain Champion with Pain Australia. In 2023 she was the Canadian Pain Society's first Pain Champion, and addressed their conference in Banff before her full remission from CRPS later that year.
In 2015 she received an Edna Ryan Award for her significant contribution to feminist debate, speaking out for women and children and inspiring others to challenge the status quo, and in 2018 was named a one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life. In 2021 she was named as a ‘Global Change Maker’ by Conscious Being Magazine, UK, and in 2022 was recognized for her contributions to the Arts and Accessibility with the Honorary Citizen of Victoria Award, her hometown of Victoria, BC’s highest honor. Tara Rae is a powerful and experienced speaker, able to connect with audiences and bring home important messages around resilience, equality, and human rights.
"Your perspective as an author and advocate added a strong narrative thread to (our event), and the stories you shared helped people connect emotionally with the issues we were exploring on stage. Your ability to bring nuance and humanity to discussions that can easily become purely policy focused reminded us that women’s safety and equality are lived realities, not just concepts. Your storytelling enriched the program and will stay with many of us long after the event. I’m very grateful you could be there with us and for the thoughtful way you brought the conversation to life - the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive."
- Simone Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, UN Women Australia
